Archbishop Diarmuid Martin today praised teachers for their contribution to the education of our children, and warned that inevitable cutbacks in the sector should be monitored for their effects on the poorest and disadvantaged.

Archbishop Martin was addressing the latest group of newly qualified teachers at a graduation ceremony in St. Patrick’s College in Drumcondra this morning (Friday). Nearly 1,000 people will graduate from the college this weekend.

In his address to the graduates, their families and college staff, the Archbishop said that despite our current difficulties we should not overlook how much Ireland had achieved in recent years and he added that it was due in great measure to the contribution of teachers, something that was not always properly recognised.

However, he said the future of Ireland will still be determined by the quality of the education system. “It is important where cutbacks are necessary in education that they are properly thought out and monitored as regards their real effect, especially on the poorest and the educationally disadvantaged. Educational opportunity for the disadvantaged is not a luxury we can afford in better times; it is a fundamental dimension of educational policy at any time.”